Today is the last day to shake the lulav and eat in the sukkah, here in Israel.
Chag Sameach, John!Today is Hoshana Rabba (Great Salvation)
“O Lord, save us [hoshiah’na]; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.” (Psalm 118:25-26)
The eight-day festival of Sukkot is almost finished, and since it is a holiday of rejoicing, it closes with three final festive days:
Hoshana Rabba (Great Salvation), Shemini Atzeret (Eight Day of Assembly) and Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah).
Hoshana Rabba, the seventh day of Sukkot, began last night at sunset and many stayed up all night reading Deuteronomy and the Book of Psalms, as is customary.
Today, Jewish people all over the world are intensely worshiping the Lord their God, since according to tradition, today is the day that the judgment which was sealed on Yom Kippur is “delivered.”
For that reason this day is characterized by prayer, repentance and praise.
In Temple times, on Hoshana Rabba, the Jewish People cried out "Anna Adonai Hoshiah na," which means "Save us, Lord!"
This prayer is never uttered in vain: God promises that all who call upon His name will be saved.
"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on MountZion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the survivors whom the Lord calls." (Joel 2:32; see also Romans 10:13)
The Torah scrolls are brought to the bema on Hoshana Rabba, and a processionalof worshipers carrying their lulav and etrogs (citrons) circle the sanctuary seventimes, reciting prayers called Hoshanot(plural for save us).
John, click here to make a difference for Yeshua on this last day of Sukkot
"For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work." (Leviticus 23:36; see also Numbers 29:35)
As the sun sets tonight, Hoshana Rabba ends and Shemini Atzeret (Eighth Day of Assembly) begins. Here in Israel, the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah also begins at sunset, so look for a special Simchat Torah message in your inbox tomorrow.
Rabbinic tradition teaches that on Shemini Atzeret, the world is judged concerning water, fruit and produce, and the amount of rainfall for the coming year is decided.
For that reason, on the eighth day that is set aside by God for a closing assembly, the Jewish people recite special prayers for rain.
In ancient times, a special water drawing ceremony was performed during Sukkot called Simchat Beit Hashoeva (Rejoicing of the House of Drawing of Water).
This ceremony is thought to have originated during the SecondTemple period, when the Cohen haGadol (High Priest) would draw water from the Pool of Siloam. He then poured it out upon the altar as a Water Libation (offering).
The people would follow the cohen (priest) to the Pool of Siloam in a joyous processional of singing, dancing and rejoicing, reciting hallel tehillim praises from Psalms 113-118 and 120-134, and chanting Isaiah 12:3:
"With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation [yeshua]."
Yeshua (Jesus), who understood and answered the heart’s cry for salvation, addressed these themes of salvation and water on the last day of Sukkot when He proclaimed that all who believe in Him will be refreshed with rivers of living water.
“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus [Yeshua] stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'” (John 7: 37-38)
The water He was speaking of was the eternal Spirit of God (John 7:37-38).
ÔÇïYeshua was "poured out like water," as described in the Messianic Psalm 22: 14.
It was only after He poured out His soul to death that God poured out the ÔÇÿrain of the Holy Spirit' upon the earth.
Water is a powerful symbol in this hot, dry country of Israel, where it's easy to become dehydrated if we don't drink enough water.
Sadly, few realize that they are perishing without the water of the Spirit of God.
This final day of Sukkot is the perfect time to consider Yeshua's invitation to come to Him when we are weary or full of sorrow, and to be refreshed by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).
Because this day is the day that judgment is delivered, it is customary to greet one another with Pitka Tova, which means a good note, referring to being sealed in the Book of Life.
Today you can pray that the Jewish people will draw the living water from the wells of true salvation in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), and that all Israel will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.
John, click now – it’s urgent to help Jewish people find the waters of Salvation
On this Sunday, you can also give of your tithe-just click here
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (Malachi 3:10)
Blessings from – our Bibles For Israel ministry family. Pitka Tova!